Archive:Fishery statistics background
Fish know no borders and the activities of one fishing fleet have a direct impact on fishing opportunities of other fleets, on the future of fish stocks and on the marine ecosystem. Therefore, the European Union (EU) has established a common fisheries policy. Today too many vessels chase too few fish, which has resulted in the depletion of fish stocks, smaller catches and lower income for fishermen. To tackle this no-win situation the European Union has reformed its fisheries policy and recommended cuts in fishing quotas and fleets. To support the revamp and the evaluation of old and new policies, data are essential.
Introduction
Eurostat’s fisheries statistics work programme is first and foremost designed to support the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to analyse different aspects of the EU’s common fisheries policy.
Eurostat’s fisheries collection, which is one of the largest and most comprehensive databases of fisheries statistics in the world, is also used to respond to requests from other EU institutions — primarily the European Parliament and the Council — as well as national authorities, international fisheries organisations and the public at large.
Comprehensive data with a long history
Eurostat fisheries and aquaculture statistics are collected in a well-coordinated way, with a coherent and tight legal framework. Data series also have a long history. The first fisheries yearbook was published already in 1975.
Eurostat’s data dissemination is divided into four groups: catches, landings, aquaculture and fleet statistics. Annual catch statistics are collected by species and by area in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, which are the most important fishing areas for the EU.
Data on landings include the quantity and average price of the fish or fish products at their ports. These data are broken down by species and by flag of the fishing boat.
The aquaculture data include information on the production and value of aquacultures, the input on hatcheries, nurseries and capture-based aquaculture — which is when fish are catched and then ‘fattened’ in captivity — as well as the structure of the sector.
Based on DG MARE fleet register, Eurostat also disseminates data on the number, size, tonnage, power, power class and age of the EU fishing vessels.
Working party on fishery statistics
Standard concepts, definitions, classifications and procedures for the collection of fishery statistics are developed in the coordinating working party on fishery statistics. This international body, which is coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has several international organisations including Eurostat, as members.
The coordinating working party for fish is a central reference point for international organisations working in the fisheries statistics world. As fish are international resources, statistical coordination between different parts of the world is essential.
Eurostat is a key contributor, especially for questions dealing with the North Atlantic, the Baltic and the Mediterranean Seas, which are among the most productive fishing areas in the world. Eurostat also plays a leading role when developing standards and definitions in the aquaculture area, among others, in giving a major input to the revision of the FAO’s handbook of fishery statistics, which could be considered as the bible of the fishery statistics.
New integrated approach
Initially the EU’s fisheries policy focused on the management of marine resources and the structure of the fishing industry. Today, socioeconomic aspects are integrated and the aim is to develop sustainable fisheries by analysing the economic performance of the EU fleet.
In 2007, the European Commission launched an integrated maritime policy, which addresses the development of EU sea-related activities. Previously the activities were dealt with sector by sector — transport and energy, tourism, environment, industry and shipyards, employment, regional aspects, etc. The new policy recognises that all matters relating to Europe’s oceans and seas are interlinked and that the waters surrounding the European continent are a vital natural resource and a main driver of Europe’s growth, jobs, competitiveness and prosperity.
Eurostat’s contribution to an integrated maritime policy focuses on providing statistical data related to each subdomain and data for long-term analysis.
Additionally, Eurostat contributes to the work on sustainable fisheries indicators which involves DG MARE, Directorate-General for the Environment (DG ENV), the EEA (European Environment Agency) and the ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea).
Modernising the infrastructure
The infrastructure of Eurostat’s database is being modernised and its data’s user friendliness improved.
The reform of the EU’s fisheries policy has led to new data needs as well as requests for quality improvements, in particular regarding the methodology. The aim is to make better use of modern IT tools for data transmission and processing, as well as making more efficient use of resources.
The European Union’s negotiations with Iceland on its future EU membership are another point on the agenda. When the Icelandic foreign minister, Ossur Skarphéðinsson, handed in the application in June 2009, he stated that fishery would be particularly important for Iceland in the accession negotiations that lie ahead. However, there aren't any major issues for fisheries statistics. Standards are good and there has been a long time cooperation in the framework of the European Economic Area.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Agriculture, fishery and forestry statistics — Main results – 2010-11 — 2012 edition (Pocketbook)
- Agriculture and fishery statistics - Main results - 2009-10 (Pocketbook)
- Statistical data on the landings of fishery products in Member States and European Economic Area countries for 2008 - Data in focus 16/2010
- The EU-27 fishing fleet continued to decline in 2008 – Data 2005-2008 - Statistics in focus 49/2009